OSHA Fines Matrix Metals LLC's Richmond Foundry for Alleged Safety and Health Violations

Texas & Nationwide Personal Injury News

U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA Fines Matrix Metals $96,000 for Alleged Safety and Health Violations

Richmond, Texas -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Matrix Metals LLC's Richmond Foundry for allegedly failing to protect its employees from safety and health hazards and has proposed penalties totaling $96,000.

"This company has exposed its employees to unsafe working conditions," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "It is fortunate in this case that no one was injured."

Following a health inspection that began March 5 and a safety inspection on March 12 at the company's facility on Collins Road in Richmond, OSHA issued 33 serious and seven other-than-serious violations. The Houston-based company, a supplier of castings for steel valves, and oilfield, locomotive and construction equipment, has about 325 employees at its Richmond Foundry.

Serious health violations include failing to perform a personal protective equipment assessment and not providing appropriate personal protective equipment to protect against hazards including silica, total dust and open flames; train employees on the hazards of excessive exposure to noise and the use of hearing protection; and perform an evaluation of respiratory hazards. A serious violation is one with the potential to cause death or serious physical harm to employees when the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

Serious safety violations include failing to provide machine guarding on a band saw, bench grinder and other power-driven tools; implement procedures and training for safe, permit-required confined space entry; provide specific energy control procedures; ensure the safe operation and condition of powered industrial trucks; and perform frequent inspections of overhead cranes.

For the rest of this article please feel free to visit www.osha.gov.